Four young scientists, accompanied by Eskom Expo’s Business Manager, Mmamoloko Rancia Riba, won their place to represent the country at the Indonesia competition, renowned…
ATLAS coffee-infused socks absorb shameful feet smells
Stinking, sweating socks suck. It’s also a piece of clothing that’s had very little attention from technology until now. Enter ATLAS (which takes it’s name from the Greek god who shoulders the world), “performance dress socks” that are mapped to your feet for comfort, dryness and odor-control. If it sounds a little too good to be true, it isn’t. ATLAS is very real and has shattered its initial US$30 000 Kickstarter goal by almost US$70 000 and counting. The beauty and secret of the sock is coffee.
Moisture control
There’s a lot to the ATLAS, but lets start with the coffee. Odour control, especially in a closed environment of a shoe, is almost impossible to control. Carbonised coffee, recycled from coffee shops and cleaned to remove the strong coffee smell, is infused with recycled polyester yarns. Odour molecules are drawn into the carbonised coffee like a stinky sponge.
The Ministry of Supply (MoS), creators of ATLAS say that this is exactly how a Brita water filter works, so why not apply the concept to clothing? The trapped odours are said to be released when the socks are laundered. MoS’ independent lab testing says that ATLAS is three times “more effective at absorbing odor molecules than regular cotton!” That is three times more happiness for us after taking off our shoes.
Intimacy meets foot mapping
It’s when MoS starts throwing around buzzwords like “strain analysis” “pressure mapping” and “thermal imaging” that you know they’re serious. Let’s quickly dig into each method that works in tandem to create the super sock.
Strain analysis maps the movement of the skin, and how clothing reacts when it’s stretched over our foot. Thanks to this, ATLAS apparently “feels like a second skin” as it moves with your foot.
Pressure mapping research has shown MoS how and where extra comfort is needed for the ATLAS socks. All in the sake of comfort, you know?
Thermal imaging proves to be the most useful mapping technique: by identifying thermal hotspots, team MoS knows exactly where to place ventilation, all to maximize heat and comfort management. ATLAS is said to be durable as well, with MoS saying that the socks easily passed the 8 month stress-test.
MoS has poured as much clothing technology into ATLAS as it can, even down to the robotic knitting machines it uses to make the coffee socks. Robotic knitting machines are like 3D printers for clothing, and offers the same level of precision and customisation industry 3D printers provide.
Kickstarter’d
As we mentioned earlier, ATLAS has been fully funded on Kickstarter. Therefore the teams promise of “2-3 colours besides black” is now a happy reality, not that any other sock besides black is suitable for the modern geek. ATLAS will ship in two sizes: medium (US male size 6-9) and large (size 10-13). There’s a free exchange if the socks don’t fit, handy that.
This is the sort of Kickstarter project everyone should (and seemingly has) support. Plus, it’s only US$28 for two pairs of ATLAS performance dress socks. And like the Ministry of Supply says, it’s like a Brita filter for your feet. The project is still open for funding for another 21 days and we predict that MoS will reach an even US$200 000 before it’s all said and done. It’s US$28 at a minimum to grab a pair of socks, so get in while the getting is good.
